3 Months

Yesterday I was a little preoccupied and I completely missed my baby girl's big 3 Month milestone. We are in the midst of the worst battle with thrush I have ever had-- and I've had a few, to say the least-- and it is causing me to spend a lot of time re-thinking my overall health and nutrition. Daniel warns me not to have a knee-jerk reaction to this, but it's hard not to when this battle feels all-too familiar and increasingly overwhelming. At the very least, I am cutting out a lot of things that are definitely not good for promoting good bacteria instead of yeast (good-bye bread and pasta and pretty much all things carb-elicious) and am adding probiotics and protein and veggies in their place-- at least until I feel a bit more confident that I've restored some better balance to my body.

But that's not what I wanted to write about.

For now, I'm focusing on the joys of Aubrey Colette.

:: Sunday afternoon through Tuesday morning, Aubrey slept. She woke only to eat during that time. It was her first real growth spurt to speak of and I am fully convinced that she woke up at least an inch longer. Overnight-- literally-- her 0-3 month clothing went from being plenty roomy to being a smidgen too short. And when the home health care nurse was here on Wednesday, she measured Aubrey at about 23". Wow!

:: Aubrey also weighed in at almost 10lbs on Wednesday (the infant scale these home health care nurses use is as old as the hills and doesn't have ounces on it, but we know she was a bit closer to 10lbs than to 9.75lbs!). She is growing-- and growing well! (She's averaged almost 6oz/week in the past 3 weeks.)

:: She is settling into a very nice routine without any help from me-- goodness, my own routine is lacking!-- beginning her night at about 7pm and ending it every morning at 8am (with feedings in-between). She's like an alarm clock about starting her day at 8am. She always smiles the most at this time, until I administer her medicines, at which point she contorts her face as if to say she is rather displeased with me.

:: During the day, Aubrey has become quite a fan of the Moby Wrap. She takes her best nap in there while I wash dishes, brush hair, start dinner, address Christmas cards, make beds, and more. It really is a wonderful way for me to get much-needed work done while still getting to cuddle my baby. (I am hoping to write more of a "review" on the wrap some time soon.)

:: Gabriel, Bronwyn and Jackson are more and more in love with her everyday. It's almost getting ridiculous, honestly. I can't put her down without worrying about Jack's face ending up inches from hers within seconds and Bronwyn is often reminding me that she's "not coughin' any more, Mama," which is my cue to let her hold Aubrey for a few minutes on her lap. Gabriel is the most extreme, with his kisses and hugs and ridiculously high voice when he talks to Aubrey, not to mention his claims that Aubrey is the cutest baby in the whole world... along with his frequently expressed wishes that she would stay small forever.

:: Her coloring is still very fair. People often declare that she looks like Jackson. I think she's a bit of a blend between Gabriel and Jackson. Her hair is minimal, but after having one redhead and when I look at what she's got, I feel fairly certain that we will be adding a second shade of red to the family in due time.

:: Aubrey loves to "talk." Loves it. Like, really really really loves it. Making her happy is often as simple as helping her sit on my lap facing me and letting her Coo away. It's breathtakingly adorable and I really ought to get a video of it to share with you all.

:: Next Thursday we make the little trek to see Aubrey's cardiologist. She will get an echocardiogram done at that time to see what changes may have taken place in her heart since she left the NICU. The cardiologist has also mentioned trying to formulate a better plan for surgery once they (all four cardiologists, along with the pediatric cardiology surgeon here) can review the echo. I am praying for an excellent report and good changes. I'm also praying that the more extreme surgical options (like restructuring her heart to be a 3-chamber heart instead of 4 chambers like you and I) will no longer be the likely course of action.

Jackson "reading" to Aubrey